The impending sale of the Warriors continued to drag on Wednesday because owner Chris Cohan was trying to get $420 million to $450 million for the team, according to two sources.

Multiple sources confirmed to Bay Area News Group that Cohan has offers that would result in the most expensive franchise sale in NBA history. The record price for an NBA franchise is $401 million, set by Robert Sarver’s purchase of the Phoenix Suns in 2004. According to one source with knowledge of the negotiations, Cohan is trying to get a bidder to hit at least $450 million. Another source confirmed that figure is in the ballpark.

“That has been his low number from the beginning,” the first source said of the $450 million.

Multiple sources said both finalists — a group that includes Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and the four Warriors minority owners, and another group headed by Celtics minority owner Joseph Lacob and Mandalay Entertainment chairman Peter Guber — have gone above $400 million.

If $450 million is Cohan’s desired price, that could explain why the likes of Mark Mastrov, founder of 24-Hour Fitness, are out of the running.

Lacob, however, is still in the mix. So is Ellison, whom some insiders consider the favorite.

Ellison does have an advantage by being connected to the minority owners. He would pay 80 percent of the final price because the minority owners, who own 20 percent of the team, would stay on. Other bidders would have to buy 100 percent of the Warriors.

Ellison, whose net worth is estimated at $28 billion by Forbes magazine, is no stranger to the sports world. His yacht, BMW Oracle, won the America’s Cup in February.

A month earlier, he had fueled speculation of his interest in buying the Warriors when he sat courtside at the team’s arena, which bears his company’s name.

Shortly after, he confirmed publicly during a conference at Oracle in Redwood Shores that his interest was growing.

Then in March, Cohan announced the hiring of Galatioto Sports Partners to handle the sale of the franchise, which had mostly struggled during his 16-year reign.

Cohan bought the team in 1994 for $119 million, but the Warriors produced just one playoff appearance during his tenure, in 2007.

Marcus Thompson is a sports columnist for the Bay News Group. After 10 years as an NBA beat writer, he is a leading voice on the Golden State Warriors. An Oakland native, he gives us a relevant voice in the East Bay. He's been with the organization since 1999.